Grass-twine machine.



0. T. WAITE.

GRASS TWINE MACHINE, APPLICATION FILED N0v. 4, 1913.

1,162,530. Patented Nov. 30,1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

0. T. WAITE.

GRASS TWIN E MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4. 1913.

1,1 62,530; Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

9 8 I f 7 F193. 5-io +5 l5 0 26 L9 0 30 30 M O 27 vlllllllqlllllm 055mm 11mm? COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0,, WASHINGTON. D. c.

0. I. WAITE.

GRASS TWINE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4. ma.

1;]. 62,530. Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3- Mlnesses: In M27175? Osszcm I M cu'ZeT USS IAN T. WAITE, OF OSHKGSH,

Wisconsin, assrenon 'ro NAITE GRASS CARPET CO.,

OF OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF VZISOONSIN.

GRASS-TVINE MACHINE.

Application filed November 4, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OssInN T. VVAITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oshkosh, county of lVinnebago, State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grass-Twine Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates more particularly to that portion of a machine of the character specified which constitutes the means for forcing the grasses lying Within the holder toward the outlet end or throat of the holder and into position to be e grasped by the selector which in turn carries them into position to be engaged by the feeding means which delivers them to the twine forming mechanism.

The objects of the present invention are to provide means for moving the packer member in an elliptical path of travel, carrying' it in acycle of movement upward, inward, downward and outward of the mass of grasses within the holder and to utilize the friction which results from the down ward and inward movement of the packer member to force the grasses downwardly in the holder and toward the discharge end thereof.

The invention further relates to the formation of the packer whereby the utilization of a toothed edge is eliminated and to the arrangement of the parts whereby grasses of short length are capable of being fed in an accurate and desirable manner; and a further object of the invention lies in constructing the parts whereby the use of complicated mechanism is eliminated and the entire structure made of a substantial and strong character, eliminating any danger of defects occurring during normal operation which would impair the efficiency of the device.

The invention further consists in the features of construction and the combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

in the'drawings: Figure 1 is a side eleration of the mechanism of the present invention showing the parts in the position assumed when the packer member is at its lowest point of throw. Fig. 2 a vsimilar view showing the parts in the position assumed upon the initial upward movement of the packer. Fig. 3 a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the parts in the position assumed Specification of LettersPatent.

- means for plane surface member which will Patented Nov. 3%, 15915. Serial no. 799,093.

by the parts when the vated. Fig. i a view similar to F lg. 1, showing the parts in the position assumed when the packer has partially descended. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrow, and Fig. 6 an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 5.

In the art to which the present invention relates, it is customary, so far as I am aware, to force the grasses downwardly in the holder and toward the outlet end thereof by means of a toothed'member which is given a movement that alternately carries it in and out of the mass of grasses, either with a swinging movement or with a rectilinear movement, and the downward movement of the grasses through the holder is effected by the compression of the grasses brought about by the cam-shaped or wedge formation of the teeth. It is, of course, necessary in all of these machines to employ some physically forcing the grasses downward'in the holder, owing to the light weight of the mass of grass which of itself is incapable of exerting any pressure tend ing to press or force the grasses downwardly.

The present invention is differentiated from the prior art, as stated above, by eliminating the use of teeth which exert a wedging. action on the grasses and utilizing a be given a movement that will carry the grasses downward by reason of friction resulting from pressure.

Referring now to the drawings, it might be stated that Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 illustrate the four movements of the packer mechanism, assuming that each quarter movement of the main actuating member for the packer mechanism constitutes a distinctive move ment, although it is understood that the packer is moved continuously and not in an intermittent movement. This, however, will appear more fully hereinafter.

The mechanism which is shown as illustrating one embodiment of the present invention is used in connection with a grass holder or hopper 7 which consists of vertically extending rods 8 and 9, and the rod 8 has secured thereto a vertically extending plate 10 of suitable construction. The grasses are arranged to lie in a horizontal packer is fully eleplane within the holder and, hence, the mass of grasses is confined upon one side by this plate 10, as will be evident from the drawing wherein the grasses are indicated by the numeral 11. This plate 10 constitutes what in effect may be termed the fixed member or portion of the packer, and the movable member, or the packer member proper, in the form illustrated, consists of two parallel plates 12 positioned so as to have their acting faces arranged opposite the plate 1 These plates 12 are joined together by suit able bands 13, although, obviously, the particular manner of joining the plates together might be varied to suit the ideas of the builder.

The plates 12, which constitute the packer member, are intended to be actuated with a movement which carries them successively inwardly, downwardly, outwardly and upwardly of the mass of grasses within the holder, and the means which I have illustrated as adaptable to impart this movement to the packer consists of a bar 14 connected at one end to a link 15 which in turn is joined to one of the plates 12. It is understood that the connections between the bar and link and between the link and plate The other oted at 17 to any suitable Stationary member. The point of connection 18 between the swinging support and the bar constitutes the fulcrum of the bar 14 and, since this support 16 is of a swinging or movable nature, it may be said that the bar 14 is provided with a shiftable fulcrum which changes from time to time during the operation of the device in order to permit the parts to assume their proper relation. The bar 14 is also provided with a slot 19 into which is entered a pin 20 connected or joined to the stem 21 of an eccentric 22, said eccentric being mounted on a main driving shaft 23 actuated from any suitable source of power, preferably from some driven part of the grass twine machine itself, this method being preferable in order to obtain synchronism, as will more fully hereinafter appear. This bar 14 will be affected by the movement of the eccentric so that it will rise and fall about the point 18 as a center of movement and will carry the end of the bar joined to the link 15 in an up-and-down movement in a vertical plane. The term vertical plane is used to simplify the description since, as a matter of fact, with the construction shown the movement may be of a somewhat arcuate nature about the point 18. This gives to the packer member its up-and-down or vertical movement.

The means which are used for giving to the packer the in-and-out movement, consists, as shown,'of an L-shaped bar or plate 24, the vertical portion 25 of which is connected by links 26 to one of the plates 12 of the packer member, and these links are joined to both the bar 24 and the packer member by a pivotal eonnectlon. This bar is intended to have a rectilinear, horizontal,

sliding movement and is guided in such sliding movement by means of bolts 27 which are mounted in a stationary portion of the machine. The stems of these bolts 27 extend through slots 28 formed in the horizontal portion of the bar 24, and a connecting member 29 is provided which is attached at one end to the horizontal portion 30 of the bar 24 and at its other end to the pin 20 of the eccentric stem 21. This bar 24 is, as will be obvious from the construction, held against every movement save a rectilinear one in a horizontal plane and, hence, the pressure or force conveyed to said bar by the rise and fall of the eccentric and through the in strumentalities of the connection member 25 must tend to move the bar back and forth in a horizontal plane and, hence, through such movement and the instrumentalities of the links 26, which connect the bar to the packer member. a force is exerted on the packer, moving it in a horizontal plane and giving to the packer its in-and-out or horizontal movements;

Now, to take the parts in their lowermost position shown in Fig. 1, and assuming that position to be the start of the operationand by that is meant the position at which the parts were brought to rest and from which they commence to move, as stated, commencing with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, the packer is in its lowermost position of movement and in such case the eccentric is at its lowermost position of throw. The end of the lever 14, therefore, which is connected to the link 15, has traveled downward as far as its limit of movement and, when in this position, the pin 20 v is lying to the forward end of the slot 19 of the bar 14. The connecting member 29 will at that time have pushed the L-shaped bar 24 forwardly and toward the holder to its limit of movement, and the stems of the bolts 27 will. therefore; be lying to the rear edge of the slots 28. Then in this position. therefore, we have the packer member thrown to its lowermost position by the bar 14, and thrown to its innermost position by the L-shaped bar 24.

In Fig. 2 the parts are shown in the position they will assume when the eccentric has made its next quarter revolution, that is, when it is passed halfway from its lowermost to its highermost position, assuming theeccentric to be moving in a clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrows in the drawings. The effect of this movement on the bar 14 will be to swing it upwardly about the center 18 carrying the end of the bar connected to link 15 upwardly and, of

link, carrying the packer upwardly. Now, tliis'inovement of the eccentric will tend to raise the pin 20 and this will tend to increase the distance between the point of attachment of the connecting member 29 to the bar 2% and the point of attachment of the connecting member to the pin '20 since, as will be seen from the drawings, the cocentric is traveling in an oblique planeand, hence, in its movements goes away from and back toward the point of connection of the member 29 with the bar 24:. -Of course, the connecting member is of an unyielding nature and there is no lost mo- .tion allowed between its points of attachment.

Therefore, as the eccentric travels upward. carrying the pin 21, which forms one point of attachment of the member 29, away from the bar 2%, which forms the other point of attachn'ient of said member, the effect will be to pull the bar 2% backward so as to assume the position shown in Fig. 2, in which the stems of the bolts 27 are lying very close to the extreme forward end the slots 28. Of course, this backward movement of the bar tends to pull the packer member backward and away from the mass of grasses within the hopper. Therefore, upon this movement of the cocentric a simultaneous upward and backward movement is imparted to the packerwhereby it travels upward in a curved path of travel of a concaved nature. During this moving it might be observed that both the link 15 and the support 16 have shifted somewhat so as to accommodate the parts to their necessary position. f

In Fig. 3 the parts shown in the position they occupy when the packer is fully elevated and fully retracted from the mass of grasses. The principle of operation which carries the parts into this position is precisely the same as the principle described in connection with Fig. 2, and it is thought that it is not necessary to detail it in particularity. It is suilicient to say that the eccentric has in this position moved to its full upward limitof movement and has carried the stem 21 to its upward limit of movement, moving the bar ll to its upward limit and the L-shaped bar 24 to its rearward or farthest retracted limit, the parts being effected by the eccentric to assume this position exactly as they were effected to assume the position shown in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 4 the parts are shown in the position assumed duringthe first half of the downward and inward movement ofthe packer, that is, where the eccentric has passed from its highest position to the next quarter position downward. stance, the effect of the downward movement of the pin 22 will be to pull down the end of the bar ll attached to the link 15,

said bar moving about its center of move- In this innient l8, and to force forwardly or toward the grasses the L-shaped bar 24. The effect of this combined downward and forward force exerted on the packer will be to carry it in a general downward direction, but with a convex movement which also carries it in and toward the mass of grasses, and this downward and inward movement continues until the parts have reached the position shown in Fig. l; and thus the cycle of operation is completed Now, on this downward movement of the packer, the mass of grasses is obviously-as the packer is forced inward-compressed between the acting faces of the plates 12 and the face of the plate 10, and then if, after such compression, a downward movement is given to the packer, it is obvious that by the friction resulting from'the' compression above referred to, the grasses will be dragged down wardly in the holder and toward the point of discharge, thus compressing the grasses at said point of discharge or outlet whereby the selector in its movements may gain the desired quantity of grass and carry it forward and to the twine forming mechanism. Gf course, as the packer releases and travels upward, its compression is relieved and the grasses to some extent spring upward and out of their compressed condition and, therefore, the packer is so actuated as to have its downward actions in synchrony with the arrival of a tooth of the selector member at said mouth or opening.

The operation of the device has been described with what is deemed sufficient particularity in the foregoing, and a detailed description of the operation per so will not be given. It is sulficient to say that the packer is operated in a manner to carry it inwardly, downwardly, outwardly and upwardly of the mass of grasses in successive movements, whereby the grasses are by compression and friction carried downward toward the mouth of the holder as is desired.

The particular embodiment of the present invention shown and described is, of course sub ect to modifications, and is not limited -in any other manner than may be by the grasses having a smooth acting face and means operatively connected for actuating said packer member to carry it bodily in successive movements upwardly, inwardly, downwardly and outwardly of the mass of grasses within the holder to compress, draw down and release the grasses respectively and said member engaging only the grasses lying on that side of the holder where the packer member extends, substantially as described.

2. In a g'ass twine machine, the combination of a holder formed with an open lower mouth, a packer member comprising a se ies of sections joined together, each section presenting a smooth acting face extending longitudinally of the holder along one side thereof and crosswise of the grasses, and means operatively connected for actuating said packer member to carry it bodily in successive movements downwardly, inwardly, upwardly and outwardly of the mass of grasses within the holder to compress, draw down and release the grasses respectively, said member engaging only those grasses lying to the outside of the mass and on that s de of the holder with which the packer is associated, substantially as de- V scribed.

3. In a grass twine machine, the combination of a holder, a packer member, a p1voted bar, a support for said bar providing a shifting fulcrum therefor, a slidable bar, an operative connection between the pivoted bar and packer member, an operative connection between the slidable bar and packer member, one of said bars tending to move the backer in a vertical direction, the other of said bars tending to move the packer in a horizontal direction, and means for actuating the swinging and sliding bars, substantially as described.

4. In a grass twme machine, the combination of a holder, a packer member, a pivoted, vertically moving bar, a support for said bar providing a shifting fulcrum therefor, a pivoted link connection between said bar and packer, a slidable, horizontally moving bar, a pivoted link connection between said slidable bar and packer, and means for actuating the swinging and sliding bars, substantially as described.

'5. In a grass twine machine,'the combination of a holder, a packer member, a pivoted bar, a mounting for said bar providing a shifting fulcrum therefor, an operative connection between said bar and packer, means for actuating said bar, a lost motion connection between said actuating member and bar, and means ooerativelv connected for imparting a horizontal movement to said packer, substantiallv as described.

6. In a grass twine machine, the combination of a holder, a packer member, a pivoted bar, means operatively connected for moving said bar with a rocking movement in a vertical plane, a connection between said bar and packer member, a support for said bar providing a shifting fulcrum therefor, a lost motion connection between said bar and actuating means therefor, a .horizontally slidable, L-shaped bar, a connection between said bar and packer member, and means operatively connected for sliding said bar with a horizontal, reciprocating movement, substantially as described.

7. In a. grass twine machine, the combination of a grass holder, a packer member extending longitudinally of the holder and crosswise of the grasses therein, a slidable member, a link connection between the slidable member and packer member, a lever, a

link connection betweenone end of the lever and the packer member, a fixed support, a link connection between the other end of the lever and the fixed support, and power driven eccentric means located mediallyof the lever and operatively connected to the lever and to the slidable member, sub

a connection between the eccentric member and the bar and a connection between the eccentric member and the horizontal portion of the L-shaped slidable member, substantially as described. 7

9. In a grass twine machine, the comb]- nation of a grass holder, a packer member I extending longitudinally of the holder and crosswise of the grasses therein, a slidable member, a lever, alink connection between the slidable member and packer member, a link connection between one end of the lever and packer member, a fixed support, a link connection between the other end'of the lever and the fixed support, a'power driven eccentric member, an operative connection between said eccentric member and bar, and an operative connection between said eccentric member and slidable member, substantially as described.

. OSSIAN T. WAITE.

lVitnesses: r

' ELIZABETH S. AVERY,

7 GEO. J. MEYER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

